Officers of the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration check the packing of vehicles. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Workers at Yiwu Port loaded domestically produced new energy vehicles (NEVs) into shipping containers on May 8, accompanied by officers of the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration. Each container carried four vehicles, marking a key logistics breakthrough.

These containers were then transported directly from Yiwu to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port for shipment to Middle Eastern ports.

The innovation, referred to as the "Ningbo Solution", has significantly streamlined the shipping process.

Previously, NEVs exported from inland areas had to go through multiple steps, including specialized loading at port facilities and separate customs inspections. With Ningbo's on-site maritime inspection services now available in Yiwu, the overall export timeline has gone from five to seven days to a mere 48 hours.

Over the past year, this streamlined model has facilitated the shipment of 2,000 NEV containers, saving businesses over 1,000 yuan ($137.96) per container in transport, storage, and labor costs. Inland cities like Chongqing and Nanjing have also benefited, with Ningbo Maritime Safety Department using remote video and Internet of Things technologies to achieve real-time monitoring and remote guidance of the container loading process.

As a result, NEV exports from Ningbo have surged, with 53,000 units shipped in the first quarter of 2025 — an impressive 641 percent year-on-year increase.